Dominant Media Technologies
Conducted in Uganda from April 25 to May 9, 2014 with a sample size of 1,007 Ugandans, the Pew Research study focuses on the transformation of the African continent with the use of cell phone networks, which allow for greater means of communication. This pushed much of the continent into the digital age, skipping past landlines for most. In Uganda, 60 percent of the population owned cellphones as of 2014. An additional 5 percent owned smart phones, with only 34 percent owning neither cellphone nor smart phone. Unsurprisingly, the higher education a person has received, the more likely they were to own a cellphone, reaching 93 percent. Ownership is also more common among those who speak at least a minimal level of English. Overall, younger, more educated, and English-speaking Ugandans are most likely to own some form of a mobile device.
For these reasons alone, cellphones serve as a dominant media technology in Uganda. While these connections do not extend across all of Uganda, much of the media does not due to the vast rural expansion of the country. Furthermore, according to another survey conducted in 2015, only 15% of the nation has access to internet (g7 & g8).
"In the space of a few years a remote tribesman could have gone from never having even seen a landline phone to having a smart phone." Interviewee James Stewart
Growth in Uganda is relatively slow with the percentage of cell phone owners reaching only 68 percent, a mere 8 percent rise. The vast majority of Ugandans do not own a computer or laptop though, so the level of internet connectivity has likely not risen much, if at all (g1).
Although the primary use of these devices, according to Pew Research, is for texting and connecting with friends and family, the mere ability to do so makes it a dominant technology in Uganda.
With over 200 radio stations in Uganda, and an ownership at 32 percent, these devices also serve as notable providers of information (g51).